Llanybri (Y Hen Gapel) War Memorial

Llanybri is a small village which is situated roughly two miles north of Llansteffan, on the
road to Bancyfelin. In recent years two new war memorials have been erected on the tower of the ruined Hen Gapel, which lies at the centre of the village. Included amongst the names on these two
plaques are three men who are also commemorated at Capel Newydd. All of the fallen are also commemorated at nearby Llansteffan.

The Great War, 1914-1918

Thomas Howells, Private, M2/046283, Royal Army Service Corps. Thomas was born at Llanybri,
the son of John and Mary Howells. The family then moved to Llain, at Llanybri, where Thomas grew up, and his brother William was born. Thomas enlisted at Merthyr into the Army Service Corps, Base
Mechanical Transport Depot. John was sent to France in 1915, but took ill and Died of Sickness on 19 January, 1916, aged 36. He is buried in Ste. Marie Cemetery, Le Havre, France. Many thanks to
Andrew Devine, the Great Nephew of Thomas, for the photograph of him in uniform.

William Howells, Private, 54571, Welsh Regiment. William was the younger brother of Thomas,
the son of John and Mary Howells. William had been born at Star House, Llanybri, and enlisted at Carmarthen into the Pembroke Yeomanry. Later William transferred into the 9th Battalion, the Welsh
Regiment, which formed part of 58 Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. It is not known when William transferred, but the 19th Division had fought in all of the major battles of the War, at Loos, the
Somme and at Passchendaele, and were to meet their sternest tests in 1918. They were in the St. Quentin area when the German Spring Offensive was launched, before moving North to Messines, where they
suffered terrible losses. William was wounded at Messines, and was evacuated to the Casualty Clearing Station at Haringhe, West of Ypres, where William Died of Wounds on 15 April 1918, aged 27. He is
buried there, in Haringhe (Bandaghem) Military Cemetery, Belgium.

David James, Sergeant, 448350, Royal Engineers. David was born at Llanybri on 19 October
1884, the son of Thomas and Hannah James. He moved to the Smithy, Llanddowror in 1908, and married Martha Thomas, of St. Clears in 1910. David joined the 2/1st Welsh Field Company, Royal Engineers on
14 November 1914, and was promoted Farrier Sergeant on 27 September 1915. He was sent to the Dardanelles in October 1915 and from there was transferred to Egypt in December that year, when he was
transferred to the 437th Field Company. He marched with the Forces from Egypt to Palestine and was present at the Battle of Gaza and other engagements. David was due to return to England in November
1917, and was returning firstly to Palestine on the Aragon when the ship was torpedoed by a submarine on 30 December 1917 and he was drowned, aged 33. David is remembered on the Alexandria (Chatby)
Memorial, Egypt. He is also commemorated on war memorials at Llansteffan and at Llanddowror.

James Meredith Richards, Private, 16609, West Riding Regiment. James was the son of James L.
Richards and Ada Janet Richards, of Pantyrathro, Carmarthen. He was educated at Llandovery from 1911 to 1912, and then was in business in London. In September 1914 James enlisted in the Army at
Cardiff, and joined the Dragoon Guards, but was invalided home with a leg wound, and spent some time in Hospital at Manchester. On recovering from his wound, James transferred Regiments, joining the
2nd Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment. The Battalion was attached to 12 Brigade, 4th Division, and by the time James joined them in July 1916, they were in positions on the
Somme, where they fought at the Battle of Albert and the Battle of Le Transloy. On 15 December 1916 the Battalion relieved the Essex Regiment in the front line at Bapaume, in atrocious weather
conditions. It is believed that James was killed by a sniper there, on 19 December 1916. He was 22 years old, and is buried at Sailly-Saillisel British Cemetery, France.

John Tucker, Private, 13406, Welsh Regiment. John was born in Llanybri in 1890. He was
raised by his Grandparents Thomas and Martha Tucker at Church Cottage, Llanybri, and lived with his sister, Sarah George and her husband, at 19, Lady Street, Kidwelly prior to 1911. John enlisted at
Kidwelly into the 9th Battalion, Welsh Regiment, which was attached to 58 Brigade, 19th (Western) Division. The Division assembled around Bulford during September 1914. Divisional training was
completed near Tidworth, and the Division moved to France during July 1915, taking up positions near Givenchy, north of Loos. The Division fought during the opening attack of the Battle of Loos,
which is where John was killed in action on 25 September 1915, alongside his friend Morgan Morgan of Kidwelly. John is buried at Brown's Road Military Cemetery, Festubert, France.

Arthur Williams, Private, 55462, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. Arthur was born at Llanybri and
worked as a farm labourer at Pentowin, Llansteffan prior to the war. He enlisted into the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and landed in France at some time in 1916, joining the 16th Battalion, Royal Welsh
Fusiliers, which was attached to 113 Brigade, 38th (Welsh) Division. The Division had been in France since December 1915 and remained there throughout the war, fighting at Armentieres, before being
moved South to the Somme, being ordered to capture Mametz Wood. The Division were badly cut up at Mametz, and were pulled out of the line, not being used again for nearly a year, when they took part
in the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, part of the larger Passchendaele Offensive. After Passchendaele, they moved South again, to help try and stem the German Spring Offensive, and when the tide had turned
the way of the Allies in August 1918, the Division played a major part in the advance that followed to the Hindenburg Lone and beyond. On 8 October 1918 the Division captured Villers-Outreaux, part
of the 1918 Battle of Cambrai, and Arthur was killed in action that same day, aged only 21. He is buried at Bois-Des-Angles British Cemetery, Crevecouer-Sur-L'Escaut, France.

Benjamin Williams, Private, 8001, Welsh Regiment. Benjamin was the son of Thomas and Anna
Williams, of Penybank, Llanybri. He enlisted at Cardiff several years prior to the war into the 2nd Battalion, Welsh Regiment. The battalion was stationed at Pembroke Dock at the outbreak of war, and
moved to France with 3 Brigade, 1st Division. They fought in the opening Battle of Mons, before fighting a retreat South towards the Aisne, where they stopped the Garman Advance. They moved North
again, to La Bassee, then to Ypres, where they withstood the heavy German assault on the ancient fortified City in the Battle of First Ypres. Benjamin had been wounded at the Battle of La Bassée, and
was taken to the Duchess of Westminster's Hospital (No.1 B.R.C.S) at Le Touquet where he died of wounds on 30 January 1915, aged 36. He is buried at Le Touquet-Paris Plage Communal Cemetery,
France.

World War Two, 1939-1945

Phillip Thomas Davies, Sergeant, 1152952, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Phillip was the
son of Sydney Arthur Davies and Gwladys Davies, of Llanybri, and enlisted into the R.A.F.V.R., joining 166 Squadron. The Squadron was based at R.A.F. Kirmington from 27 January 1943, operating first
Whitley's, then Wellington's and Lancaster Bombers. Phillip was one of the crew of Wellington Mk X, Serial LN397 when the aircraft was shot down on a bombing raid on Monchengladbach on 31 August
1943. He is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey. He was just 20 years old. There is a memorial to him on his parents grave at Llanybri Churchyard.

Ivor Lewis Evans, Private, 14541568, Cheshire Regiment. Ivor was born in the Llansteffan
area, and served in the 6th Battalion, the Cheshire Regiment, which was created from a doubling up of the Territorial Army at the outbreak of WW2. The 6th Battalion was part of the 56th Division, who
were moved from North Africa to take part in the Italian Campaign. On 3 September 1943, the Allies invaded the Italian mainland. Following the fall of Rome to the Allies in June 1944, the German
retreat became ordered and successive stands were made on a series of defensive lines. In the northern Appenine mountains the last of these, the Gothic Line, was breached by the Allies during the
Autumn campaign and the front inched forward as far as Ravenna in the Adratic sector, but with divisions transferred to support the new offensive in France, and the Germans dug in to a number of key
defensive positions, the advance stalled as winter set in. Coriano Ridge was the last important ridge in the way of the Allied advance in the Adriatic sector in the autumn of 1944. Its capture was
the key to Rimini and eventually to the River Po. German parachute and panzer troops, aided by bad weather, resisted all attacks on their positions between 4 and 12 September 1944. On the night of 12
September the Eighth Army reopened its attack on the Ridge, with the 1st British and 5th Canadian Armoured Divisions. This attack was successful in taking the Ridge, but marked the beginning of a
week of the heaviest fighting experienced since Cassino in May, with daily losses for the Eighth Army of some 150 killed. Ivor was Killed in Action at Coriano Ridge on 18 September 1944, aged just
21. He is buried in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery, Italy.

Thomas Lloyd, Sergeant, Home Guard. Thomas was the son of Jane Lloyd, and the husband of
Hannah Mary Lloyd, of Llangain. Being too old for overseas service, he served at home in the 1st (Carmarthenshire) Battalion, the Home Guard, and Died at home, aged 45, on 22 July 1941. He is buried
at Llangynog Churchyard.

William John Rogers, Gunner, 1747903, Royal Artillery. William was born at Llanybri, the son
of John and Margaret Rogers, and the husband of Sarah Mary Rogers, of Llanybri. He joined the Royal Artillery at the outbreak of War, serving in their 313th Battery, 4th Heavy Anti Aircraft Regiment.
William was possibly serving as an Anti Aircraft Gunner aboard a ship, as he was killed on 30 October 1942, aged 35, and is remembered on the Brookwood Memorial, Surrey. He was probably serving
aboard the Boom defence vessel Panorama. The Brookwood Memorial serves to commemorate members of the UK land forces who died in WW2 and who have no known graves. The majority of the names on the
memorial are of people lost at sea.

John Thomas, Private, 14342801, Monmouthshire Regiment. John was the Husband of Annie
Florence Thomas, of Llanybri. He served in the 3rd Battalion the Monmouthshire Regiment, which was a Territorial Unit, mobilised as part of the 53rd (Welsh) Division in Northern Ireland. It trained
in Northern Ireland in 1940 and returned to England in 1941. In the summer of 1942 it was transferred to the 11th Armoured Division and trained for armoured warfare. The Division were to embark for
North Africa, but this was cancelled, and they instead landed in Normandy on 14 June, 1944. John didn't get to France though, as he Died at home on 15 April 1943, aged 30. He is buried in Llanybri
Churchyard.

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Website News

6 Mar 2018. Some more good news today that yet another Welsh soldier, Thomas David Rees, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, has been accepted as a war casualty
by the CWGC as a result of my work. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the website for further details.

3 Mar 2018. Good news today that another Welsh soldier, Reginald Wilfred Collard, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, has been accepted as a war casualty by the
CWGC as a result of my work. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the website for further details.

26 Feb 2018. The second volume of my latest book 'The Welsh at War' has been published today and is available from all good bookshops. Please see the
Steve's Books page for details.

23 Feb 2018. Some good news today that another local man, Gwilym Bennett, of Llanelli, has been accepted as a war casualty by the CWGC as a result of
my work. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the website for further details.

5 Feb 2018. The first volume of my latest book 'The Welsh at War' has been published today and is available from all good bookshops. Please see the
Steve's Books page for details.

27 Jan 2018. Some good news again, that Thomas Arthur Edward Pugsley, of Ynysboeth, has recently been accepted by the CWGC for commemoration by the
CWGC as a result of my work. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the website for further details.

22 Jan 2018. I have received news that a sailor from Swansea, James Carne, who I had researched, has been accepted for commemoration by the CWGC as a
result of my work. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the website for further details.

1 December 2017. A new section has been added to the website, which will cover some war memorials in Glamorgan, more especially the memorials nearest
to the county border with Carmarthenshire. More will be added as time allows.

4 November 2017. Some good news this week following the discovery, after much searching, of the grave of Private Thomas Davies, of Laugharne. Please
see the Forgotten Soldiers page of the website for details.

4 May 2017. Welcome news this morning that a new CWGC headstone has been erected in Laugharne for Domingo
Mobile, a sailor who I found to be buried there a couple of years ago. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the website for
further details.

8 March 2017. Some more good news today. Another un-commemorated Welsh sailor, Samuel Arthur Griffiths, of
Tredegar, has today been accepted for commemoration by the CWGC as a result of my research. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section
of the website for further details.

8 February 2017. Some more good news today. Another un-commemorated soldier, Llewelyn Owen Roberts, of
Penmaenmawr, has today been accepted for commemoration by the CWGC as a result of my research. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers
section of the website for further details.

7 February 2017. Some more good news today. Another un-commemorated soldier, Isaac Owen, of Seven Sisters, has
today been accepted for commemoration by the CWGC as a result of my research. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the website
for further details.

20 December 2016. Some good news today that another uncommemorated soldier, Private Thomas Owen Davies, of
Machynlleth, has been accepted for commemoration by the CWGC following my research. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the
website for further details.

23 November 2016. Some good news today with the acceptance of another Welsh soldier, Percy Griffin Williams, of
the Welsh Horse Yeomanry, for commemoration by the CWGC following my research. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the
website for details.

15 November 2016. I would like to thank the people of Laugharne, especially the members of the Laugharne and
District Historical Society, for their welcome during their recent History Event on Saturday when I visited to make a talk about how researching the Laugharne War Memorial inspired me to create this
website and to begin my writing career. It was a very interesting day and was well attended by the locals.

26 Sep 2016. After a lot of hard work I have finally managed to identify a soldier from Gwaun-cae-Gurwen, Morgan Price James, who since the early
1920’s has been commemorated by the CWGC under the wrong name, James Morgan. Please see the Forgotten Soldiers section of the website for details.